by James Horner

copyright 2022

Iditarod. * Twenty-five below.

I stand on my sled

knees like jelly.

For the next thousand miles

can I hang on?

 

Hike!

          All right.

They love to pull.

Lily and Friday.

 

They live to run

Toby and Healy.

 

Friendly, to me, their musher.

Sprocket and Turbo.

Never been indoors.

 

Whisper and Stretch.

Gee!

        All right.

Steer right around the mushy spring.

 

Haw!

          All right.

Left onto the crusty trail.

 

On by!

            All right.

Stretch is in heat.

Back by me so the leads don’t catch her scent.

 

Whoa!

            All right.

I trip forward.

No matter what, hang on!

 

Worrying, overthinking

Gee!

        All right.

 

Anger and dismay.

Haw!

          All right.

 

Cold with fear

biting my face.

On by!

            All right.

 

My crystalline breath

mixes with puffs

from eight dogs panting.

 

Whoa!

I love to pull.

I live to run.

                      All right.

_____

* The Iditarod is an annual long-distance sled dog race,

in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome,

entirely within Alaska. Distance 938 miles.